Front end loaders have long been used on tractors for material-handling operations. The early front end loaders were permanently mounted on the tractors which interfered with the usefulness of the tractor during operations when the front end loader was not needed. Westendorf U.S. Pat. No. 3,324,954 disclosed a front end loader which could be quickly mounted on the tractor and removed therefrom during periods of non-use. Another type of tractor loader is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,051,962.
In all of the front end loaders adapted for quick attachment and quick detachment, a pair of upright tower members are provided having forwardly extending side frame members secured thereto. A cross member is rigidly secured to the forward ends of the side frame members and extend therebetween. Thus, the predetermined length of the side frame members and their horizontal spacing required that a wide variety of models be provided to fit the various tractors on the market.
A tremendously large number of smaller tractors having horsepower in the range of between 17 and 35 have become available. Each of the smaller tractors has a different configuration and it is very difficult to provide a front end loader which will fit the particular tractor let alone a number of tractors. For example, some of the small tractors have mufflers positioned at the side of the tractor which interfere with the mounting of a loader on the tractor. Further, some of the tractors have various front end configurations which also interfere with the mounting of a loader thereon.